Ugly Love

Hi everybody! Welcome to The Woodlands Podcast. I’m so glad you’re here.

Today’s episode is part of the “Aha Moments” series. The aim of this series is to invite you to reflect on your own epiphanies both large and small. This episode is a meditation on the story of Jesus and a sinful woman at a Pharisee’s dinner party (Luke 7:36-8:3). You can read the story below or just start listening.

This post is available to paid subscribers. Both paid and free subscribers always get the free essay each Friday.

If you’re thinking about becoming a paid subscriber, you can take advantage of the 7-day free trial to check the podcast out. And if your budget can’t bear the cost but you would like to listen, email me here. I’ll comp you some free listens.

All proceeds from paid subscription are used for alms.

This essay appears in my book Your Untold Story. Click here to grab a copy.

Luke 7:36-8:3

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’

Photo by Philip Myrtorp on Unsplash